Domed Fields Eyed At Hinsdale Central, South; Official Skeptical

HINSDALE, IL – A Hinsdale High School District 86 board member proposed domed fields at both Central and South during the winter. An administrator pushed back.

On Monday, board member Jeff Waters said the domed fields could pay for themselves or even make a profit, with rentals to outside groups. He suggested debt to cover the infrastructure costs.

Waters advanced the idea at a meeting of the board's finance and facilities committee

Recently, he said he visited the high school in Minnetonka, a Minneapolis suburb. It has a domed field, which he said has a packed schedule.

Waters said such fields at Central and South could expand youth opportunities to take part in sports.

He said the schools could charge $600 an hour to outside groups, calling it an "extremely conservative" estimate.

"This thing would easily generate $600, $700 grand a year, which would be an amazing revenue opportunity, paying itself off over some of the years," Waters said. "To me, it's a no-brainer to exhaust creativity to figure this out for both of our high schools."

However, Josh Stephenson, the district's top finance official, described himself as skeptical.

If both Central and South offered such fields, he said, they would be hard-pressed to both charge $600 an hour.

"If you have twice the availability, are you then driving down rates and you're actually not able to fill them at a rate high enough to break even or make a profit?" Stephenson said.

He also noted Minnetonka's reported annual operating profit of $80,000. But he said that doesn't include the capital investment.

Adding the capital costs, Stephenson said, it may not be realistic to expect to break even or make a profit.

Additionally, he doubted that area groups now paying $60 an hour for fields would be willing to fork out $600.

Waters again said $600 was a conservative number.

"You don't live in the community, Josh," Waters said. "You don't recognize the lack of supply that exists."

Board member Bobby Fischer said the committee wasn't ready to recommend the domes either way.

At the same time, he said the domes could help provide more opportunities for students. Each year, hundreds are cut from sports and activities, sometimes because of a lack of space, he said.

Member Liz Mitha suggested the matter come before the full board in August.

"What is our tolerance for a loss if we're going to take a loss?" she said. "What would we be open to as a board?"

Superintendent Chip Pettit, who started a week ago, said the administration could look into the possibility.

"I'm looking forward to learning more about it," he said. "If we find that it's so valuable for our students, maybe it doesn't have to be a moneymaker."

Waters asked the administration to reach out to Hinsdale and Darien officials about the idea.

He said no Chicago-area high schools have domed fields.

In 2015, the 13-year-old dome at Hononegah High School, north of Rockford, collapsed, a newspaper reported. At the time, the district said it "deflated rapidly" during a winter storm. It later reviewed the film, saying it took four hours.